Rob Perez@WorldWideWob
And this right here, what just happened in Indiana, is why making an example of the Jazz was a short-sighted decision/slippery slope.
1) Zubac returns to action from extended time off, plays heavy 1H minutes. Looks good scoring 8 PTS (4-6 FG).
2) Nembhard drops 23 PTS (!) in the 1H in just 17 mins.
They both disappear at halftime, and dont play a single 2H second in what was a respectably close game for a majority of it.
Pacers (a team with losing incentive) lose.
Sound familiar?
The franchise comms team will likely issue an injury management explanation to avoid the eye of Secaucus Sauron/refute the imminent tanking allegations.
Is it possible both players got sore in the locker room/hurt in the first half? Sure, I guess.
The point here is that by fining the Jazz for conduct detrimental to the league, NOT (⬅️) a Player Participation Policy violation, your games are now going to be under the microscope in the event this type of starter rotation activity occurs again.
You can’t just fine one franchise and hang their reputation from a tree to scare the other citizens from replicating the same behavior.
That selective enforcement is what put you in the spotlight originally, because Jaren Jackson Jr./Lauri Markkanen ended up either getting surgery or having a legitimate hip injury keeping them out for the foreseeable future.
Nembhard/Zubac may end up experiencing something similar to JJJ/Markkanen, they may not, but the inconsistent enforcement WITHOUT knowing their personal medical records is reflective of a business that only steps in when the seat gets hot.
The Jazz ended up winning some of those games they were so highly scrutinized for.
The Pacers lost tonight.
This alone does not justify penalizing the Pacers, because Micah Potter was trying to win just as much as Brice Sensabaugh was for Utah.
Players dont tank.
If you’re not going to fine the Pacers for this tonight, then just give the Jazz governors their $500,000 back, because this hypocrisy is what’s damaging the league reputation more than the integrity of the game.
